Mine-car.



WI' LLoYp.

MINE GAR( APrLmATInn FILED 11,111.27, 1911.

Patented Dec. 1

4 Anon/1ers WILLIAM LLOYD, OF DRIFTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

MINE-CAR.

Specification of Letters Patent..

Patented Dec.17,1`912.

Application filed March 27, 1911.l Serial No, 617,131.

To all whom it may concern:

De, it known that I, JLLIMI LLOYD, a citizen of the United States of America, and residing at Driftoinin the county of Luzerne and State ot Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and usei'ul In'iprovement in ll'Iine-Cars` of which the following is a specilication.

The present invention relates particularly to mine cars orihe like, my object being to provide a suitable springdevice Jfor taking up the shocks to which cars ot' this type are ordinarily subjected by reason Aot the rough construction of the road bed and track and the hard usage to which these cars are at. all times subjected.

A further and correlated object ot' my invention is to provide a suitable spring device which is not only inexlwnsively embodied in a mine car. but which also con forms to the miningI laws which govern the construction of such cars as to certain t'eatnres well known to builders of ca rs ot' this type. y

( )ther novel features of construction are,

also hereafter mentioned.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a vertical section through a car wheel and adjacent parts on the line tgl, Fig. 2; Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof: and Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3, Fig. l.

In theconstruction of mine carsl and the like, it is important` that the car body be kept as lov as possible since head room is an essci'ltial consideration in the mines,` and to raise the car body materially above the axle renders it practically unavailable for mine use. Furthermore, the weight must be kept as low as possible` for the curves in the track are frequently abrupt and switch angles are sudden and sharp: so that unless the weight of the car is kept. lowy accidents at switches and curves are sure to occur. Again it is the practice in the mining region to brakerars on inclines by means of sprags or heavysticks ot wood which are jammed in between vthe spokes of the car wheel and the car underfranie and thus block one or more of the wheels as the car descends the incline. This is not only the common practice, but it is sanctioned by the mining laws and any construc tion of the car underframe or -wheel which endangers the usei' offri sprag is prohibited by law. This practice results in many fiat wheels, 'with a 'consequent pounding which not only injures the track but lsubjects the car frame to a very 4injurious jar ring and racking. To Vobviate these injuries to the car frame and body, I now propose to mount the car on the wheel axles so that both vertical and lateral jars and shocks are to a large extent eliminated,

while at the same time keeping the body of' the car low and also permitting nniinpeded spraggingof the wheels.

In the form shown I have recessed the longitudinal under-trame beam A on which the car bottoni B is supported, to receive the hollow shouldered thimble c of the yoke member C, the legs c ot' which straddle the axle I) forming a vertical guide slot for the latter. The shoulder cl ofthe thimble c engages the lower face of the beam A and the weight of the car is thus transmitted' to the voke piece C. lithin the Yoke I arrange a coil spring E one end of which bears against the upper end of the thimble'rwhile the other end rests upon the bearing block lf on the axle. Bolts G directly `secure the yoke to the beam while the bolts for the retaining st 'ap H. passing through the. yoke, reinforce the. bolts G.'

To take up the lateral thrust. at switches and curves, I provide a coil spring I mount ed on the axle D and interposed between a washer K adjacent the yoke C and a bearing piece L fitted against a shoulder M formed on the wheel axle. This end thrust at curves and switches causes considerable wear upon the axle bearings likewiseand I have also improved theold wheel construction in this connection by providing readily renewed cooperating bearing members carried by the axle and its dust caprespectively.v Upon the end 'of the axle I secure' b v any readily1 disengageable means such as the pins O a cap P theoverlapping flange 71 of which holds a bearing meltber p on the end of the axle D. The inner tace of the, dust cap R which is bolted in place as usual, is provided with an annular flange r1 which retains the cooperating bearing piece r. These tfwo cooperating bearing pieces r and p may be made of chilled iron or other durable material, 'and may be readily renewed after wear, being independent of the cap and spindle respectively. The cap P attords convenient means for retaining the wheel on the axle. For this purpose a ring V, perforated aty v to permit the passage of oil fromthe dust box tothe bearing, and engaging behind the cap P, is clamped to the wheei hub by the bolts T which hold the dns` cap in position.

Rollers 5'; may be arranged between the Wheel bearing and the axle; but this forms no part my present invention.

It is obvious that the construction illustrated does not raise the body of the car appreciably above its present relation to the wheei axles and also that it does notintertere with the spragging of the wheels. A sprag a: is shown in part in Fig. 2, in the position it, would occupy when the wheel is blocked.

The construction shown for a single wheel is repeated for each wheel of the car.

Various modifications of the arrangement illustrated will readily suggest themselves which do not depart from the scope of my invention, I do not limit myself to the precise details shown.

I claim. as my invention 1. In amine car, a car under-frame me1uber, a wheel with hub, spoke and rim members, and a spring pedestal for said Wheel rigid' with said frame member, said pedestal comprising a yoke member embracing the Wheel axle and confined substantially within the hub area of the Wheel beneath the car frame, whereby the spoke area ofthe wheel remains substantially unobstructed for spragging together with a bearing block on the Wheel axle and a spring confined between said block and pedestal, as described.

2. In a mine car, a car under-frame member, a wheel with hub, spoke and rim members, and a spring pedestal for said wheel rigid with said frame member, said pedestal comprising a yoke member embracing the Wheel axle and confined substantially within the hub area of the Wheel beneath the car frame, whereby the spoke area of the Wheel remains substantially unobstructed for spragging, together with a retaining strap passing under the car axle and lying substantially Within the yoke area of the pedestal, a bearing block on the wheel axle, and a spring confined between said block and the pedestal, as described.

3. In a mine car, a car urder-frame member, a Wheel with hub, spoke and rim members, and a shouldered pedestal having a yoke embracing the wheel axle, bolts passing through the shoulders of said pedestal to secure the same to said frame member, a retaining strap passing under the car axle and secured by said, bolts, said yoke and strap being confined substantially to the. hub

Losanna area of the wheel beneath said under-frame member whereby the spoke area of the wheel remains substantially unobstructed for spragging together with a bearing block on the 4wheel axle and a spring confined between said block and pedestal, as described.

4. In a mine car, a car under-trame member, a Wheel with hub, spoke and rim mein bers, and a spring pedestal for said wheel rigid with said frame member, said pedestal comprising a yoke recessed on opposite sides of the car axle, and a retaining strap pasting under the axle and lying 'within the recesses oi' said yoke, both strap and yoke being confined substantially' Within the hub area of the wheel beneath the frame ineinber, whereby the spoke'area off the Wheel remains substantially unobstructed :for spragging together with a bearing block on the wheel axle and a spring confined between said bloek andv pedestal, as described.

5, In a mine car or the like a ear axle and an end thrust bearing thereon comprising a centrally apertured cap mounted on the axle 'and having a flange overlapping the end ot the latter and an independent end bearing piece retained and axially positioned on the axle by cap, substantially as described.

6. In a mine car or the like, car axle and lan end thrust bearing thereon comprising a centrally apertured cap mounted on the axle and having a flange overlapping the end 0f the latter and an independent end bearing piece retained and axially positioned on the axle' by said cap, in combination with a closed dust cap carried by the car wheel and an independent end thrust bearing piece removably mounted on the inner face of the latter in line with said axle to coperate with the end bearing mounted thereon, as above described. i

7. In a mine car or the like,` a car axle, a

'removable end thrust bearing member mounted thereon, a dust cap with coperating bearing piece bolted to the wheel hub, in combination with a heel-retaining ring clamped between the dust cap and the wheel hub and engaging the rear face of the end thrust bearing member on the axle, for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence ot' two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM LLOYD.

Witnesses:

HOWARD W. l/VEYHENMEYB, JOHN ROHLAND. 

